Safe Speed Forums

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411319/647845

Boy racer law nets leading businessman

Jan 11, 2006

Boy racer legislation targeted at street racing youths has netted one of Taranaki's leading businessmen.

The chairman of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce, John Rae, has had his luxury Mercedes Benz impounded for breaching street and drag racing laws.

Sergeant Evan Davidson of the Te Awamutu police says one of his colleagues spotted a car in the town's main street last month. He says the car's wheels had sustained loss of traction, causing smoke and marks on the road, and the driver was issued with a ticket.

Davidson says the car has been impounded for 28 days, at the owner's expense.

Rae, who runs an insurance brokerage in New Plymouth, is due appear in the Te Awamutu District Court next month and could face a three month jail term or a $4,500 fine.

The businessman claims the police are making an example of him. He says the situation is very embarrassing for him and the police may have targeted him because of his age or the type of car he was driving.

Rae says he is astounded by the amount of interest the case has generated and he says it is producing good publicity for the police.

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THREE MONTHS IN JAIL? For a wheelspin?

We'll, I'm sorry but when I was a younger man, the occasional deliberate wheelspin in safe and appropriate circumstances was an expression of joy.

Whatever is going on in the world?

I'll start a poll on deliberate wheelspins.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

It's similar in many cities in the States- any form of wheelspin, popping a wheely or anything deemed boy racer/anti-social results in instant nicking, and PERMANENT confiscation/destruction of vehicle (not sure about the prison sentence, though).

Indescriminate persecution of the motorist at its worst. There is no mention anywhere that his actions caused danger to the Public.

Sometimes I think the NZ and UK Police are in some sort of competition to see who can be the most anal.

Presumably there is video evidence of this "altercation"? If he is found not guilty, he no doubt won't get the impound costs back and this is just WRONG.

As for the US, yes, they have some pretty hard laws there, but their Police tend to exercise a LOT more discretion than ours do.

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“For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong.” - H. L. Mencken

any idea of the make model and age?

its just that ESP, BA ABS and TC is pretty much standard on all MBZs it was certainly standard on my SLK which can hardly be described as top of the range.

Just looked at the video looks like a CLS55 AMG - definately would have traction control, so how did it manage to burn rubber?

You can turn all the gadgets off (or at least reduce their action) at the touch of a button.

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Malcolm W.
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not represent the views of Safespeed.

so it was deliberate then?